Cuero ( ) is a city in and the county seat of DeWitt County, Texas, United States. Its population was 8,128 at the 2020 census.

History

The city of Cuero got its start in the mid-19th century as a stopping point on the Chisholm Trail cattle route to Kansas. According to the Handbook of Texas Online, "Gustav Schleicher founded the latter town as a way-station and moved to it soon afterward, in 1872." It was not recognized as a town until 1873, though, when it was officially founded. The city was named for the Spanish word "hide", referring to the leather made from animal hides. The industry was extremely short-lived, however, and gave way to various forms of ranching. The city had several Old West gunfights related to clan feuding following the Civil War.

Cuero's population grew considerably in the 1870s and 1880s, as residents from the coastal town of Indianola settled here after major hurricanes in this period destroyed sizeable portions of that city. Cuero thrived through much of the late 19th and early 20th centuries by the introduction and practice of turkey ranching in the area. Today, agriculture is still the primary industry in the region. Cuero is considered to be one of the top cattle producers and shippers in Texas.

Geography

Cuero is located east of the center of DeWitt County near the mouth of Sandies Creek, where it empties into the Guadalupe River.

U.S. Routes 87, 77 Alternate, and 183 pass through the city. All three highways follow South Esplanade Street into the center of town; US 87 then leaves town via East Broadway Street, while US 77A and 183 continue north out of town on North Esplanade Street. US 87 leads southeast to Victoria and west to San Antonio. US 77 Alternate leads northeast to Yoakum, and US 183 leads north to Gonzales. Both 77 Alternate and 183 lead south to Goliad.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Cuero has a total area of , of which , or 0.36%, is covered by water.

Demographics

thumb|right|Map of the city in 1881

thumb|right|Postcard showing the Burns Hospital, Cuero, Texas, between 1930 and 1945

thumb|right|"Turkey Trot" on November 16, 1912

thumb|right|Downtown Cuero in 1934

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Cuero had a population of 8,128, 2,588 households, and 1,472 families. The median age was 39.1 years; 22.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 15.7% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 127.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 132.0 males.

{| class="wikitable"

|+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census

! Race !! Number !! Percent

|-

| White || 4,213 || 51.8%

|-

| Black or African American || 1,266 || 15.6%

|-

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 49 || 0.6%

|-

| Asian || 39 || 0.5%

|-

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 3 || 0.0%

|-

| Some other race || 1,650 || 20.3%

|-

| Two or more races || 908 || 11.2%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 3,640 || 44.8%

|}

93.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 6.8% lived in rural areas.

There were 2,588 households in Cuero, of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 41.7% were married-couple households, 18.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 33.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

Parks and recreation

Cuero has many places for recreation, including a baseball complex, a golf course, volleyball courts, tennis courts, a basketball pavilion, and a park area with access to public swimming pool.

Education

The City of Cuero is served by the Cuero Independent School District. John C. French serves prekindergarten 4 through grade 2, Hunt Elementary serves grades 3–5, Cuero Junior High serves grades 6–8, and Cuero High School serves grades 9–12.

In addition, the City of Cuero is served by St. Michael's Catholic School. Providing education for the children of DeWitt County for over 130 years, the school has a fully accredited early childhood program (prekindergarten to grade 4) and offers education for kindergarten-grade 6.

Museums and historic sites

Cuero has the Chisholm Trail Heritage Museum, the Cuero Heritage Museum, the Pharmacy and Medical Museum of Texas (now a separate location of the Cuero Heritage Museum), and the DeWitt County Historical Museum.

Numerous sites in Cuero are on the National Register of Historic Places listings in DeWitt County, Texas, including (but not limited to) the Cuero Commercial Historic District, the First Methodist Church, the Grace Episcopal Church, the Macedonia Baptist Church, and the Terrell-Reuss Streets Historic District.

Notable people

  • Frank Bass, professor and inventor of the Bass diffusion model
  • MSG Roy Benavidez, Medal of Honor recipient
  • Alois Blackwell, NFL player
  • Robert E. Blake, lawyer and athlete
  • Guy Cordon, United States Senator of Oregon from 1944 to 1955
  • Leo Frank, lynching victim
  • Christopher A. Fuchs, physicist
  • Fred Hansen, Olympic champion pole vaulter
  • Frank Horton, U.S. Congressman for New York
  • Henry Joseph Huck (1822–1905), once "the leading lumberman and supplier of building materials in the young State of Texas"
  • Caesar Kleberg, conservationist
  • Barr McClellan, lawyer, author (Blood, Money & Power: How LBJ Killed JFK), entrepreneur
  • Jo Morrow, television and film actress
  • Sam Neely (1948–2006), country/folk musician and writer
  • Aurora Estrada Orozco (1918–2011), Mexican-American community leader
  • Robert Strait, high-school football running back
  • Cody Wallace, NFL player
  • Mary Fanett Wheeler, mathematician
  • Arthur Whittington, NFL player
  • Jordan Whittington, NFL player
  • Dale Murray, MLB pitcher

See also

  • Terrell–Reuss Streets Historic District

References

  • City of Cuero official website
  • Cuero Chamber of Commerce
  • Films of Cuero at Texas Archive of the Moving Image